


Dark Matter

by t_dragon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alien Character(s), Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Chinguline (EXO), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-12 23:05:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17476664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon
Summary: What do you do when it turns out that the highly dangerous prisoner you're transporting across the universe to a high security prison is actually a kidnapped warrior prince? Captain Byun Baekhyun and his crew have no idea, but with enemy ships suddenly after them and with a shoot first, ask later kind of mentality, they need to come up with something fast![For prompt #121 in top!soo fest round 2]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say that this prompt - even though I absolutely love it - has been a pain to write. This is rewrite number 8, aka version 9 of this story. And it's still not quite as I envisioned in my mind, but it's as close as I can get it. I was so close to dropping out that I had a mail written to the mods, but I couldn't disappoint the prompter, the mods, and myself like that, so I forced myself to try one last time, which is why it probably feels a bit rushed, sorry about that... I hope this turned out somewhat okay in the end! Inspiration taken in some way or form by Star Wars, Star Trek, and Mass Effect (the video game).  
> (And yes, both Kyungsoo's looks and the name of his planet are based on D&D's race tiefling - google if you're curious. What can I say, man, horny Soo is great!)

 Eyes as dark and empty as the far edges of known space were set straight ahead, never looking away from their goal. Even as the murmurs rose around the man, he did not spare them a single glance.

 It was not until the man was by the ship he was supposed to depart on that he finally broke his stare, to glance over at the uniformed, obviously high in command, man standing to the side. And the hatred in those piercing, oh so dark eyes would have a lesser man shaking.

 As it was, it merely tore a low chuckle out of the uniformed man, who knew he would soon no longer have to deal with this actual pain in his ass anymore. No, soon, the prisoner would be on a ship on his way away, to become someone else’s problem, and that was enough relief for the uniformed man to not feel scared.

 Laughing had been a mistake, though, which the uniformed man quickly noticed. Taking everyone by surprised, the cuffed man lunged towards the uniformed man, getting close enough to head-butt him, before the guards managed to grab hold of him and tackle him to the ground, beating him into some semblance of submission.

 But as the man was dragged over to the ship, a chilling sound rang out into the air - a laughter, ice cold and manic-sounding, muffled by the muzzle attached to the man’s face. And now, the uniformed man was shaking, hand clutching his face and blood dripping from his obviously broken nose.

 This prisoner was a force to be reckoned with, unreliable and dangerous - but considering his background, this was not something surprising.

 No, Prisoner 12 was a high-security prisoner, ordered to never be unbound or ungagged, and now on his way to the most high-secure prison in the known universe.

 

— — —

 

 Captain Byun Baekhyun was a rather decorated navy turned mercenary, with his own crew, mostly hired by the Intergalactic Council to help them in various ways - very often through prisoner transport. There was a high pressure on the prisons nowadays, and every guard was needed, so whenever the Council could outsource they would. And Captain Byun happened to be a trusted employee, which led to him catching the more dangerous, but also the better paid, jobs.

 Like his current job. Transporting an  _ extremely dangerous _ prisoner (their words, not his) to the very rumour-surrounded maximum security prison known as Terra, located on one of the old worlds, Sol III.

 They had been ordered to keep the prisoner locked up and muzzled, and after the little trick the prisoner had pulled as they had picked him up, Captain Byun was rather inclined to obey that order. He did  _ not _ want a crazed prisoner running amok on his precious ship!

 “Updates on our cargo?” Captain Byun asked as he turned towards his second-in-command.

 “Doing what he was doing an hour ago, pacing around the cell, kicking at the door, screaming,” Commander Kim answered with a heavy sigh, eyes trained on the monitor in front of him, the corners of his lips turned down.

 Commander Kim Jongdae was a curious man; one could call him a stray that Captain Byun had picked up shortly before retiring from the fleet. Only his kittenish lips and slit pupils hinted towards his alien heritage - his very  _ unusual _ alien heritage. He did not talk much about his past, or how he had come to end up on the planet Captain Byun found him on, but Captain Byun knew enough. And had been saved by the Commander enough times to not doubt his allegiance.

 “Of course,” Captain Byun mumbled, tapping his lips in contemplation. “Do we have anything to sedate him with? Calm him down?”

 Commander Kim shook his head, glancing over at the captain.

 “I spoke to Doc before, but since we have no idea  _ what _ exactly he is, though we have some guesses, there’s too big risks involved trying to sedate him,” Commander Kim said, shrugging a little. “I said let’s take the risk, whatever happens happens, but that apparently makes me heartless.”

 Captain Byun chuckled at that. “Did you expect any other reaction from Doctor Lee?”

 “Not really,” Commander Kim muttered, messing around with something in front of him. “She’s too nice for this life…”

 “What life? The honest mercenary life?” Lieutenant Commander Park snorted from his place behind the helm console. “It’s not like we’re doing horrible, illegal things. We’re  _ literally _ employed by the Council, just as an independent group instead of through the military.”

 Lieutenant Commander Park Chanyeol, helmsman and navigator, was a whole other kind of alien. Coming from a planet with a lesser gravitational pull than many other inhabited worlds, he was near abnormally tall, most of the time dwarfing everyone in the room. His bright red hair and small pair of horns sticking out of it only helped make him stand out even more, even as he tried to appear smaller than he was on a regular basis.

 He did not like having all of the attention, he claimed, and Captain Byun could understand that. Must be rather exhausting, to be honest.

 “Doesn’t really change the way people are looking at us,” Commander Kim shot back. “Not that  _ I _ care, people can say whatever they want about me, it doesn’t bother me, but Doc… She deserves better.”

 Captain Byun exchanged knowing, amused glances with Lieutenant Commander Park. Commander Kim had a very soft spot for the doctor, and he was very obvious about it, even as he tried to deny it.

 “Doctor Lee knew perfectly well what she got herself involved with when she joined our crew. She’s a grown woman, and able to make her own choices,” Captain Byun gently reminded the Commander. “And, not to be  _ that _ person, but I think she enjoys herself more in this crew than she would leading an ‘honest’ life working full time for the council, or at an academy at some faraway planet or whatever.”

 Commander Kim grumbled a little to himself, a sign that he was agreeing with the Captain but did not  _ want _ to agree with him. Chuckling to himself, Captain Byun looked out at the vast expanse of black on the other side of the glass. He could see stars and galaxies all around, almost touchable from this point of view, and he relaxed back into his seat.

 The open universe. Home, in a way. Unchanging, no matter how many new planets and stars that were mapped out. Uncaring of the petty business of the beings inhabiting it, moving around and through them, a constant.

 Completely different from the artificial capital planet housing the Intergalactic Council; the biggest hub for different species to intermingle with each other. Chaotic and stressful, and Captain Byun was more than happy to have left that behind. He had never liked the planet, and even leaving with an extremely dangerous piece of cargo was a relief to him.

 “ETA to the gate?” Captain Byun asked, thoughts once more wandering to the precious prisoner currently in his care.

 “Should be able to see it in a few minutes, Captain,” Lieutenant Commander Park answered, and Captain Byun gave a small nod.

 “Good, I can’t wait to get out of here…”

 Several mumbles of agreement joined the statement, like true mercenaries on their way away from official business. But Captain Byun and his crew would soon come to in many ways regret not leaving the planet empty-handed. Who knew a single prisoner could bring so much trouble?

 

— — —

 

 Restless, Prisoner 12 stalked around his cell, back and forth, round and round. The chain connecting his hands to his feet clinked with every move he made, and he was going half insane from the sound, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had tried, but alas, not even his (albeit at the moment slightly weakened) strength was enough to tear it apart.

 Groaning, unable to do much more with the muzzle across his face, Prisoner 12 once more threw his entire body against the glass imprisoning him, but the only effect it had was giving him a sore shoulder.

 Frustration bubbling over yet again, a growling yell made its way out of Prisoner 12’s mouth as he once more put his everything into trying to force the chains to break. It did nothing more but leave him weak and lightheaded, and with a grunt, Prisoner 12 collapsed against the glass and slid to the floor.

 He needed to get out of here, could they not see how desperate he was?!

 

— — —

 

 Captain Byun liked the universe, found its vastness soothing, but he was not blind to the dangers it contained. Some of them, the natural ones, he deeply respected, but it was the ones that came in ships that he truly feared. Especially if those ships packed a whole lot of more firepower than his own, and currently had all of that firepower pointed in his direction.

 The first jump had been going so well, but of course nothing was ever easy.

 “What the-” Captain Byun mumbled, before the screen signaled an incoming call from the ship in front of them. A ship he very quickly recognized, a ship that had his blood run cold with dread. This could not be happening.

 “Captain… Captain Bae of  _ Redrum _ requesting a call,” Commander Kim said in a low, gravely voice, letting Captain Byun know that this was very much happening, unfortunately.

 “Accept it,” the captain said, because what else could he really do? He was at a disadvantage right now, and seriously doubted he could reject the call, no matter how polite he tried to be.

 The screen in front of him buzzed as it darkened, half a second later showing a pale, beautiful face.

 “Captain Bae. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Captain Byun asked, not even trying to keep the icy edge out of his voice. He did not like to be threatened, and the threat was overwhelmingly obvious right now.

 “Your prisoner, Captain Byun,” Captain Bae said, a note of amusement in her voice, sounding a bit like the answer should be obvious to him.

 Maybe it should have been.

 “You’re aiming all of your firepower at me over one insane prisoner that we’re shipping to Terra?” Captain Byun asked, frowning as he started to see the pieces of a puzzle being laid out in front of him.

 “Indeed I am, dearest Baekhyun,” Captain Bae murmured, her smile sending shivers down Captain Byun’s spine. “But if you would just hand him over, I promise no harm will come to you. We only want the prisoner, you have my word.”

 “Your word doesn’t mean a lot to me,” Captain Byun mumbled, more to himself really, as he frowned. “You know I can’t do that, Captain Bae. I have orders-”

 “You’re a mercenary, Byun, you’re not bound to the council,” Captain Bae snapped, all pleasantries gone now. “There’s no honor binding you either, so just let me have him!”

 “I think I’m feeling a bit too intrigued by all of this,” Captain Byun said, grasping at straws. Something was off, something was wrong. Something about Prisoner 12. But what?

 “Hand him over, and you can be on your merry little way, without the added headache of Prisoner 12,” Captain Bae ordered, sudden smile so sweet but eyes so cold.

 Captain Byun was shaking his head before his mind caught up, mouth forming around a single word.

 “No.”

 “Fine, then I’ll come take what I want instead,” Captain Bae hissed, before the call cut off and alarms began to blare around them.

 “You better have those shields up!” Captain Byun called out,  _ just _ before the first shot was aimed at them, thankfully being absorbed by said shields.

 “Not my first rodeo!” Commander Kim called back, and Captain Byun could hear the grin in his tone, but this was  _ not _ the moment to be cheeky.

 “Return the fire!” he ordered. “Keep me up to date on shields and systems! We need to get out of here,  _ Redrum _ is a notoriously dangerous ship!”

 “Yes, Captain,” Lieutenant Commander Park said, eyes darting all over his screens as he most surely tried to plot an escape plan, as Commander Kim called out information about the ship.

 Several harsh jolts had Captain Byun clinging to his seat, jaw clenched. The  _ Exodus _ was his baby, hard-earned and a beauty, and to have her torn apart like this… It  _ hurt _ him. She did not deserve that, but unfortunately it was what she had to take.

 “There!” Lieutenant Commander Park exclaimed, loud over the noise. “Unstable wormhole, should get us close to our original destination!”

 Unstable wormholes were tricky, volatile and fickle on good days, but they did not have much choice right now. It was either an unstable wormhole, or a massacre, and Captain Byun  _ really _ liked his crew and ship.

 “Full power to weapons, then go for the wormhole!” Captain Byun called out, hoping he could do at least some damage to  _ Redrum _ .

 The darkness lit up with the force packed into the next few shots, one making it to the opposite ship, and Captain Byun almost fist-pumped into the air. Then  _ Exodus _ was moving again, shooting towards the wormhole, and all they could do was hold on and pray for the best.

 “Keep me updated!” Captain Byun ordered as he shot out of his chair.

 “Where are you going?!” Commander Kim asked, and the captain could not blame him for how surprised he looked. After all, they had just been in a fire fighter, currently inside of an unstable wormhole - but he had a very good reason.

 “I need information, and I know just where to get it,” Captain Byun said, locking eyes with his Commander. It did not even take a second for realization to light up his eyes, and Commander Kim nodded as he got back to his screens.

 “Yes, Captain.”

 Hurrying from the bridge, Captain Byun tore down the hallways, past injured crew members, absently taking in the state of the ship as he went. No open holes as far as he could see, that was a good thing, a very good thing, actually!

 It did not take long to reach his destination, and the captain was pleased to see that this area seemed unharmed as well. But maybe it was not so strange, considering this was the area Captain Bae had an interest in - maybe she had made a conscious effort to keep it safe. You never knew with her, though.

 Coming to a stop outside of the holding cell, Captain Byun found himself face to face with the man apparently responsible for all of his problems.

 “I think we need to talk,” Captain Byun said, as pitch black eyes stared straight into his, surprisingly lucid considering everything he knew about Prisoner 12 - or thought he knew.

 

— — —

 

   “I can’t believe this! Is this how you treat your prisoners?  _ Inhumane _ ,” Prisoner 12 spat, voice so venomous, but still so well-spoken. Not at all like what they had seen so far, and the bad feeling bubbling in Captain Byun’s stomach just increased.

 Prisoner 12 was supposed to be incoherent and crazed. Prisoner 12 appeared to be anything  _ but. _

 “We got explicit orders to keep you chained and muzzled at all time, for  _ our _ own safety,” Captain Byun said, dragging a hand through his hair, frustrated.

 It was very much looking like he was uncovering a ploy, and he did not even have half of the pieces yet.

 “Who are you?”

 Prisoner 12 turned to look at Captain Byun, gaze clearly estimating, but the captain refused to back down or hunch over. He did not know  _ what _ Prisoner 12 was, but he was not going to let himself get scared by him either. After all, despite everything, Captain Byun actually had the upper hand.

 No matter how broad and sturdy the man was, no matter how empty his coal black eyes were, or how pointy his horns and fangs looked. Captain Byun would not bow down.

 “My name is Kyungsoo, Prince of the Nine Tribes of Tiufal of the Serpentis system,” Prisoner 12 said, placing a fist over his heart and tilting his head.

 Captain Byun could not help how his eyes widened in shock, mouth falling open, quickly taking back the whole “no bowing” thinking. After all, royalty went by other rules…

 “P-prince? Tiufal?” Captain Byun stuttered, pieces slowly revealing themselves. “I can’t believe this…”

 “Then how can I make you believe?” Prisoner 12 asked with a frown.

 “Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” Captain Byun hurried to say, waving his hand dismissively, before interrupting himself. Was that rude? Shit. “Okay, fine, I’m half in disbelief over your identity, but what I can’t believe is that I’m currently carrying a  _ prince _ in one of my holding cells! How did this even happen?”

 “Well, long story short, I was kidnapped and imprisoned, before forced onto your ship to probably be taken to some long-forgotten world where I will rot away, or mysteriously die or disappear.”

 Captain Byun blinked a few times, static noise filling his head, before he nodded, motioning towards the table inside of the cell. Okay then.

 “Why would they want to kidnap you?” Captain Byun carefully asked, needing some answers, because he was so confused and had no idea what to do.

 Prisoner 12,  _ Prince Kyungsoo _ , looked up from his clasped hands on top of the table, a grim smile on his lips.

 “To get me out of the way, of course. What else?”

 Captain Byun pinched the bridge of his nose, nodding. “Yeah, I kinda figured that one as well… But  _ why _ ? Why do they need you out of the way?”

 “Because I’m the only heir left to the throne, and with me out of the way, it’s free for all for the chiefs of the tribes to take over after me,” the prince said, sounding rather detached from the whole situation. “Considering the fact that I am currently being transported by an Intergalactic Council ship, I would lean towards there being a hidden plot against me as well.”

 “We’re not with the Intergalactic Council, we’re mercenaries employed by them,” Captain Byun answered, almost automatically. “Anyway, do you have any idea of why anyone on your planet would plot against you with the Council? And why they would send other mercenaries after us as well?”

 Prince Kyungsoo hummed at that, eyes once more back on the table, a finger drawing random symbols into the surface. They were random to the captain, at least, but they might hold a meaning to the prince.

 “There could be many reasons behind getting rid of the last blood-tied heir, Captain, and lucrative deals for the riches our planet contains would surely lure at least a few of these reasons,” Prince Kyungsoo said, glancing up at Captain Byun with a fanged smile, no humor in it whatsoever, and it sent shivers down the captain’s spine. “You claim to be a mercenary, then you should know that the Intergalactic Council is just like any other business. They do love their money…”

 

 With a sigh, Captain Byun stepped out of the room, and headed back to the bridge. Sitting down in his chair, he took a moment to just breathe, before he motioned with a hand for his crew to let him know how things were looking.

 “Unfortunately for us, they knew what they were doing,” Lieutenant Commander Park began, the captain only nodding as he kept his eyes on the dark universe in front of him. “Unfortunately for  _ them _ , we also know what we are doing.”

 “Good news?” Captain Byun asked.

 “We… Don’t know yet,” Lieutenant Commander Park answered. “Some things are looking okay, but some are looking bad, and…”

 “We need to refuel and check the damage,” Commander Kim mumbled, and the captain sighed, rubbing his eyes. “But at least we made out of the wormhole in one piece, and we didn’t end up in the middle of nowhere. Just maybe not where we would  _ want _ to end up.”

 This was the bad part about travelling across the massive open space. Anything went wrong, and you better hope you were close enough to something and able to get there, or that someone else would have their ways past you. Neither scenarios were overly likely, and that was more than proven thanks to the several drifting ships littering various corners of the emptiness.

 At least they were close to places where they might get help. The ‘might’ being very unsure.

 “Can we make it to Andromeda?” Captain Byun asked in a tired voice, because he was now having to make decisions he did not like to make. But there was nothing he could do about it, they were exhausting all of their options now.

 Silence settled over the already rather quiet room, and the captain could feel the burning of two pairs of stares directed at him.

 “Are… Are you sure?” came Lieutenant Commander Park’s hesitant voice after some time.

 “No,” Captain Byun answered. “But I don’t know where else to go. So there’s where we’re going, if we can get there.”

 More silence, before Commander Kim sighed.

 “We should be able to, yes.”

 “I’m plotting the course now.”

 Captain Byun nodded, still looking out at the vast space stretching out in front of him.

 “Whenever you’re ready, set off.”


	2. Chapter 2

 Elysium was a beautiful planet, small and quaint, blues and greens covering the entirety of it. A paradise, just like its name hinted. It was not so strange that it also hosted a sanctuary, a place where beings could come to heal, to prosper. Prince Kyungsoo had of course heard of the planet before, but he had never  _ seen _ it, too occupied with his own problems. But it looked just like all of the descriptions he had ever heard.

 Which did not explain why the captain of the ship was currently standing stiffly by his side, tension clear in the line of his shoulders. At least the prince knew it was not because of he himself having been released, since the captain had seemed resigned from even before he had come to let Prince Kyungsoo out of his cell.

 “Is this a dangerous place?” Prince Kyungsoo asked, making Captain Byun stiffen even more.

 “Nope,” one of the crew members - the Methuselahn - answered, popping the ‘p’ obnoxiously.

 “Then why do we seem to prepare for a fight?” Prince Kyungsoo asked, frown deepening from confusion.

 “Well, a fight there might be,” another crew member, the Felidaean, cackled from his seat. “But we’re going to the, like, most peaceful planet this side of the universe. The Captain just happens to have made them a bit angry in the past, in the kind of ‘never going away’ way.”

 Captain Byun’s shoulders tensed even more, and Prince Kyungsoo was intrigued.

 “How so?” he asked, getting nothing more but a quick glare out of the man before the captain turned forwards again.

 “None of your business,” Captain Byun tersely answered, and the prince tilted his head in acknowledgement.

 He was not one to force secrets out of people - unless he needed to for some reason or other. But Captain Byun’s secret did not seem necessary to know, so Prince Kyungsoo did not push it. Even though he was curious as to how the captain had managed to get enemies on a paradisiacally beautiful and peaceful planet known for its hospitality…

 The landing was swift, a man already waiting for them as they stepped off of the ship. Dressed in white robes, he would have looked rather serene - had there not been a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows.

 “Elder Junmyeon,” Captain Byun greeted the man, tension and  _ hesitation _ coloring his voice. Intriguing…

 “Baekhyun,” the elder said, voice so controlled but blue eyes flashing like a storming sea. “What are you doing here?”

 “I had no other choice,” the captain muttered, arms crossed defiantly over his chest. “Our ship… Elysium was the closest.”

 “This may be a sanctuary, but I have no obligations whatsoever to accept you here,” the elder declared, and now Prince Kyungsoo was more than intrigued.

 The captain bristled, and the prince could sense hurt from him, but it seemed to be quickly pushed away. Interesting…

 “I know, but I couldn’t risk my entire crew,” Captain Byun argued back. “We only need to make sure we can continue on, and then we’ll be gone. I’m not asking for anything more than that, I know your feelings about me.”

 Letting out a deep sigh, the elder pinched the bridge of his nose, looking rather close to giving in. Prince Kyungsoo suspected soft hearts were needed for taking care of people like Elder Junmyeon were.

 “What did you do to end up in this mess this time?” the elder then asked, voice quiet.

 Captain Byun shot a quick look at Prince Kyungsoo, who simply raised an eyebrow. Clenching his jaw, the captain turned back to the elder, and the prince wondered what he would say.

 “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to,” Captain Byun warned. “If I don’t answer, you won’t have a reason to get dragged into this and involved.”

 “You involved me the very moment you landed your ship here, Baekhyun,” the elder bit out, eyes flashing again. “At least if you tell me, I know what to be prepared for.”

 Prince Kyungsoo found himself nodding at that, because it was true. Better knowing and being prepared than using ignorance as a defense. It was only fair that they should know, and Captain Byun seemed to have come to the same conclusion, considering the deep breath he let out in a sigh, shoulders slumping as his arms dropped to his sides.

 “We were hired to transport a prisoner, high security one, but after an attack we realized that he’s actually not who they said he was,” Captain Byun explained, motioning towards Prince Kyungsoo, who tilted his head in greeting. “After an  _ intimate _ meeting with  _ Redrum _ , leaving  _ Exodus _ in this state, we had to head to the nearest civilization-”

 “The nearest one being Elysium, of course,” the elder interrupted the captain, once more pinching the bridge of his nose. “I- How do you always find yourself in these kinds of situations, Baekhyun?”

 “Special talent,” Captain Byun muttered with a shrug, sounding almost  _ pouty _ . “Anyhow. Here we are now, with Prince Kyungsoo of Tiufal and a beat-up ship, asking for a place to stay as we sort everything out.”

 Elder Junmyeon’s eyes widened in obvious surprise as they zeroed in on Prince Kyungsoo, as if seeing him for the first time. Maybe he had been too focused on the captain to register everyone else. Prince Kyungsoo did not feel too offended.

 “Tiufal? You’re the prince of Tiufal?” the elder asked, voice faint.

 Pressing his fist against his heart, the prince lowered his head in a small bow.

 “I… I can’t believe this… They claim you are  _ dead _ ,” the elder said, and Prince Kyungsoo could not help the way he flinched.

 “Not dead, just indisposed of,” Captain Byun sighed. “We were supposed to take him to Terra.”

 “Ah, yes, of course, to hide him away on one of the most well-guarded planets this side of the universe,” the elder said with a sigh, as he began to pace. “Very convenient indeed…”

 “Don’t do that,” Captain Byun spoke up, a warning in his voice. “This in none of your concern, we’ll fix the ship up and then leave, and you can go back to your peacefulness. You shouldn’t be dragged into this.”

 Care. Captain Byun cared about this planet, about this place, and did not want to see anything come to it. Even with their leader so cold to him… Captain Byun cared. Prince Kyungsoo felt almost a  _ need _ to figure this out now, to figure this little mystery out.

 The elder came to a stop, opening his mouth but quickly closing it again, as if deciding against saying whatever he had wanted to say. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, Prince Kyungsoo could see that they had dimmed into a more grey blue, like a still sea. A still sea still hiding secrets in its depths.

 “Fine. Make no mistake in believing this is me forgiving you, Baekhyun,” the elder said, looking oh so very tired for a moment. “You are allowed to stay for however long is needed for your ship to be fixed, but then you need to be gone.”

 “Yes, sir,” Captain Byun answered, giving a small bow, before turning away and leaving.

 Prince Kyungsoo and Elder Junmyeon stayed in place for a moment, watching the young captain go, before turning towards each other.

 “What are your plans, your highness?” the elder asked, seemingly more relaxed now that it was only the prince left to deal with. “Go home to your world and take back your throne?”

 “Something along those lines, yes,” Prince Kyungsoo answered. “Why do you ask?”

 The elder gave a small smile, looking more like the calm caretaker the prince had heard of, not the angry man he had just witnessed.

 “My world is a sanctuary for beings who have nowhere else to go,” the elder began, motioning with one hand towards the gardens surrounding them. “This is a place where they can find peace and move on, so it might not be so strange that I immediately feel the need to offer it to you as well. As of now, you are floating in nothingness, belonging nowhere, and I want you to know that should you want to, there is a place for you here.”

 “What of Captain Byun?” Prince Kyungsoo found himself asking, tilting his head slightly. He did not know what he expected in answer, but it certainly was not the heavy, sad sigh that he got.

 “Baekhyun is a special case… He had a place here, but he does not belong here,” the elder said, shaking his head lightly. “Of course, I’m too weak and pity him too much to be able to say no to him, no matter how stern I try to be. Like I said, I have no obligations to accept you to stay here, and I have turned others away, but never Baekhyun.”

 Prince Kyungsoo hummed at that, turning the words over inside of his head.

 “I understand,” he ended up saying, before giving a bow. “Unfortunately, my place is not here either, but with my people. Thank you for your offer, but I’ll be going with the ship as soon as it’s ready to depart.”

 “Of course, I expect nothing less from the last living heir to the throne,” Elder Junmyeon said, a slightly more happy smile on his lips. “Good luck, and I hope all goes well for you, your highness.”

 “As do I,” was the last thing the prince said, before turning and heading back towards the ship.

 He had some things to discuss with the captain.

 

 “Excuse you what now?” Captain Byun asked, as if he could not believe his ears.

 “I think we should leave the injured and only take the necessary crew needed when we leave,” Prince Kyungsoo said once more, just to make sure the captain had actually heard what he had said. “And instead of going to Terra, we should go to Tiufal.”

 “Uh, yeah, I heard you the first time, hearing it a second time doesn’t make it make more sense to me,” the captain deadpanned. “Why do you think it’s a good idea to take my ship and crew to the planet you were abducted from to get you out of the way?”

 “Because I need to get back and stop whatever deal was made in exchange for the elimination of me,” Prince Kyungsoo explained. “You know who I am, are you really planning on taking me to the prison where I will most likely disappear to make sure there are no loose ends?”

 “Of course not!” the captain said, sputtering a little, before turning sheepish. “I just don’t know where to take you yet…”

 “I need to go to Tiufal, so either you take me there, or somewhere where I can catch my own ride,” the prince said, crossing his arms over his chest. “We both know at least  _ I _ can’t stay here for much longer, whoever has been sent after me obviously want me dead, and that destruction should not be brought to this peaceful haven.”

 Captain Byun groaned and began to pace back and forth, obviously seeing the logic in the prince’s argument, but apparently not wanting to give in. Why, Prince Kyungsoo had no idea, especially not since they were running out of time.

 “You can’t go on your own to a planet where at least some part of the population want you dead and out of the way,” the captain muttered, dragging a hand through his silvery hair. “You’ll be dead before you even set a foot on the planet itself!”

 “Then what do you suggest I do, Captain Byun?” the prince asked, raising a single eyebrow in both question and challenge.

 The captain came to a sudden stop, looking over at Prince Kyungsoo for a few seconds, before sighing and looking away.

 “I don’t know, I guess there’s not much else you really can do…,” he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose and resembling Elder Junmyeon quite a lot for a moment. “You’re just being a good leader to your people…”

 “Thank you,” Prince Kyungsoo said. “Now, will you help me, or not?”

 With another sigh, Captain Byun walked over to where the prince was standing, crossing his arms as he did.

 “I can  _ try _ to help you, at least.”

 Prince Kyungsoo gave a nod. “That’s good enough, and all I could ask for. Now, let’s discuss how I’m supposed to get off of this planet, and back to my own.”

 

 Halfway through their discussions, the Felidaean appeared to discuss some things with the captain, and was subsequently dragged into the planning, and when the Methuselahn appeared as well, to see where everyone had disappeared to, he too was forced to join.

 “I mean, he has a point,” the Methuselahn said after Prince Kyungsoo went through his arguments once more. “Leaving the injured here is much safer, and we can’t stay here for too long. It would give them the opportunity to heal in peace, which I think they all would appreciate.”

 Prince Kyungsoo glanced over at the captain with one eyebrow raised, watching as Captain Byun pursed his lips.

 “I know he has a point, but I don’t like leaving a chunk of my crew here for an unknown amount of time,” Captain Byun said, sighing as he rolled his shoulders. “Ah, shit, a headache, just what I need right now…”

 “Anyway, we can’t do much right now anyway, we still need to finish the repairs of the ship,” the Felidaean said, arms crossed over his chest. “Maybe we should just go to bed for now?”

 Even though the prince felt an urgency in his mind, the Felidaean had a point. There was not much they could do right now, and maybe sleep would be the better option - for now. They could continue tomorrow, and hopefully they would be closer to getting off of Elysium, and back to Tiufal.

 As Prince Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say this, all of a sudden Elder Junmyeon appeared in the room, bursting through the doors.

 “You need to go, right now,” the elder said, pinning them with a hard look.

 “Wait a minute, you said we could stay until our ship’s finished!” Captain Byun protested, tensing up, but the elder shook his head.

 “You don’t understand, we’ve picked up on at least one other ship getting closer,” Elder Junmyeon said, words slightly rushed. “They have not tried to contact us, or identified themselves in any way, giving us plenty of reason to believe that they’re not here for us, but for you. So you need to go now!”

 Gathering discarded jackets and weapons, the foursome quickly followed Elder Junmyeon out of the ship and through the winding corridors of the main building of the center, a sense of urgency resting over the normally so peaceful location.

 “Junmyeon, wait!” Captain Byun called out, but the elder neither stopped nor slowed down. “Junmyeon, we don’t have a ship, our ship is still being fixed! How are we supposed to leave without a ship?”

 “You take my ship,” Elder Junmyeon said, sounding as if it was obvious, and in a way Prince Kyungsoo assumed that it was. “Hurry up, you don’t have much time!”

 As they entered into a part of the gardens, an explosion was heard from behind them, and they all came to a stop to glance back at the plume of smoke rising into the darkened night sky, faint sounds of screams coming from around them.

 “Oh dear, time is up…,” Elder Junmyeon mumbled, before spinning around and pressing a device into Prince Kyungsoo’s hand. “I wish you the best of luck with your mission, your highness! The ship is just down this road, hurry!”

 And with that, the elder disappeared the way they had come, leaving the four of them standing and staring after him.

 Years of training quickly had Prince Kyungsoo snapping back to reality, turning to the rest of the men with determination flaming inside of him.

 “Come on, let’s go! The quicker we get out of here, the better!” the prince said, more of an order than a request.

 “What?! We can’t leave now, not when they’re attacking!” Captain Byun protested, a frown pulling at his eyebrows as he motioned towards the smoke. “I’m not leaving them to fend for themselves against a problem that  _ we _ brought here!”

 “What do you think our enemies will think when they see a lone ship leaving this planet?” Prince Kyungsoo asked, an icy edge to his voice. They did not have a lot of time, and he needed this argument over and done with as soon as possible, so he needed to make the captain listen. “That  _ I _ am fleeing from them, and  _ I _ am what they want, making it likely that they will follow us and leave this place in peace.”

 “In peace? They’ve already shot at it once!” Captain Byun exclaimed, and under any other circumstance, Prince Kyungsoo would probably admire the honor and responsibility the captain was showing, but not right now.

 “It was a warning shot, most probably aimed at the lowest risk part of the center,” Prince Kyungsoo bit out as he tossed the device to the Methuselahn, jerking his head down the path towards the ship. With a small nod and bitter expression, the man hurried away. “The best we can do right now is leave and hope our escape pulls the attention away from this place.”

 “You know this place is well-protected, and anyone who dares to make serious harm to it will pay,” the Felidaean mumbled, one hand curling around Captain Byun’s bicep to lightly tug. “Come on, we need to go now, or things will only get worse, you know that.”

 Fisting a hand in his hair, the captain let out a short scream of frustration, before he turned and set off towards the ship, the prince and the Felidaean closely following.

 It did not take long before they were airborne, shooting through the layers of the atmosphere and leaving the paradise planet behind. And it was with some relief that they received a message from Elder Junmyeon, telling them that the enemy ship had departed shortly after they had.

 

 “So, let me get this straight,” the Felidaean - Commander Kim - said, turning in his co-pilot seat to pin Prince Kyungsoo with a stare. “You, the warrior prince of Tiufal, was  _ kidnapped _ and hidden away the  _ Intergalactic Council _ to help some greedy asshole from your own planet? Even though you’re the last living in the bloodline for the throne?”

 “Yes,” Prince Kyungsoo answered.

 “Wow,” Commander Kim dryly said, turning to the Methuselahn - Lieutenant Commander Park, they really liked their long titles - with a snort. “No wonder you entered the life of a mercenary!”

 “Mother give me strength, for the last time, we’re  _ not _ from the same planet!” Lieutenant Commander Park hissed, looking close to bursting a vein or something. “We’re from neighboring systems!”

 “Same shit,” Commander Kim said with a shrug, before turning back to the prince. “And now we’re on our way back to your planet to somehow steal the throne back from this greedy asshole and save your people?” Prince Kyungsoo nodded. “Oh, okay, great. Any plan for how  _ that’s _ supposed to work?”

 “Yes, a few, but we need to get there alive before I can decide on what to do,” the prince answered honestly, earning himself a snort from the captain seated to his side, behind Commander Kim.

 “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Captain Byun muttered, dragging both hands over his face. “How did I get talked into this…”

 “We have an advantage, considering our ship being smaller and able to travel faster, but the other ship almost makes up for it by packing a bigger engine,” Prince Kyungsoo said, ignoring the captain for now. “There’s no use in trying to sneak our way back to Tiufal, they will obviously be expecting it, and they very well might have already alerted their contact person on Tiufal by now to expect us. We need to rely on speed and whatever surprise we can give them.”

 “How do you even know they’ll let you take over the throne and not openly kill you?” Captain Byun asked in a tired voice. “Not to be that person, but you’ve already been kidnapped and thrown into jail once, as well as had  _ Redrum _ of all mercenaries set after you?”

 “Because my people are a proud people, and we place a lot of weight on honor and tradition, as well as loyalty,” Prince Kyungsoo answered. “Trying to get me out of the way silently was smart, nobody knew who to blame, nor would I have been able to get back had you not decided to listen to me and trust me, Captain Byun. The only way they can get me out of the way openly is through trial by combat, and there might be too much at stake to do so.”

 “So we’re putting our trust into honor and loyalty?” Commander Kim asked, and the prince thought he could detect some sarcasm to his voice. “Great. Can I say you kidnapped us and forced us to take us there in exchange for letting us live? Will that help me survive if it turns out that your people is not as loyal as you thought?”

 Prince Kyungsoo gave a chuckle at that, feeling some tension bleed out of him.

 “Yes, you’re allowed to use that as an excuse, and I promise I’ll let them know before they kill me that you had no part whatsoever in this, I threatened to gut you and string you to the ship should you not comply,” Prince Kyungsoo promised, taking some pleasure in seeing the grossed out grimace on the Felidaean’s face.

 “Just tell them you threatened to shoot me in the head, please,” Lieutenant Commander Park said in a small voice, and it managed to get the prince to give a real laughter.

 

 Two portals later, and they found themselves in the Serpentis system, silently gazing at the planet Prince Kyungsoo called home.

 Tiufal was by no means a beautiful planet, not in that healthy green way that Elysium was, but to Prince Kyungsoo it was a gem. A bit unpolished around the edges, but so sharp and deadly and everything he could wish for. Just the thought of the Intergalactic Council setting up a trading station here had him bristling - all of that clean-cut white and silver did not fit in with the brilliant roughness here.

 “Now what?” Captain Byun asked, turning to Prince Kyungsoo with questions in his eyes.

 “Now I need to try to contact someone, someone I hope remained loyal to me,” Prince Kyungsoo answered. “Commander Kim, if you please?”

 The Felidaean quickly scooted out of his seat and allowed the prince to sit down. With a tingle resembling anxiety in his chest, Prince Kyungsoo patched his way through to one of the chiefs he least expected to have betrayed him, and that he knew would be close enough to help them get inside.

 

 It was with much happiness that Prince Kyungsoo spotted the white-haired chief, alone and seemingly not planning an ambush, as their ship touched down in the outskirts of the capital, having made sure to fly low and close to the ground to minimize the chances of being picked up. It had almost gone too easy, and the prince was on high alert, expecting more.

 “Chief Sehun,” the prince called out, and the chief immediately fell to a knee in a show of submission.

 “My prince! You are alive and well,” Chief Sehun exclaimed, a note of relief to his voice, the end of the sentence almost peeking up into a question.

 “I am,” Prince Kyungsoo said, motioning for the chief to stand up. “And very pleased to find you still loyal to me. Do you know who was behind my kidnapping?”

 At the question, Chief Sehun began to look a bit uncomfortable, eyebrows knitting together in a frown, before he exhaled a sigh.

 “I’ve had my suspicions… Nothing confirmed, my prince, and I would rather not throw out baseless accusations when the situation is as serious as it is,” the chief finally said, and Prince Kyungsoo nodded. “I do know that something is supposed to happen today, though, and that the rest of the chiefs have gathered at your palace. Someone is supposed to arrive, and I’m very certain that someone is not you.”

 Prince Kyungsoo frowned at that. “Who is important enough to gather all of the chiefs?”

 A quiet cough from behind him had the prince turn around, facing Captain Byun, who was looking at him with a grim expression.

 “Who is important enough to gather your chiefs, and who is powerful enough to have something to do with your kidnapping?” the captain asked, and the pieces fell together to form the puzzle so quickly that the prince gasped.

 “The Council,” Prince Kyungsoo bit out as he turned to face the rather confused-looking Chief Sehun once more. “I need to get inside of the palace right now!”

 “Yes, my prince,” Chief Sehun said with a small bow, before turning and leading them towards the exit the chief had used to come meet them.

 The entire passageway was flanked by Chief Sehun’s own men, all who bowed for Prince Kyungsoo as they walked past. When asking where the city guard were, Chief Sehun only sent the prince a mischievous little smile, telling him that this was a passageway the city guard did not know about. It had been entrusted to Chief Sehun’s clan in case they needed a quick way to get in or out of the city, and Prince Kyungsoo balked at that.

 “Are you telling me that each chief holds a secret passageway leading straight into my town?” the prince exclaimed, making the chief nod sheepishly.

 “Well, that might explain how someone managed to get you out of the city without alerting someone,” Commander Kim mumbled from behind. “Right?”

 “I wouldn’t know, I can’t remember anything from falling asleep in my bed, up until waking up in the prison,” Prince Kyungsoo answered, so many questions rushing through his head, but it was making sense. Someone who was trusted to get access to his bed chambers, as well as knew of a secret way out… It made sense.

 It did not take long for them to reach where the passageway ended near the palace, and hiding beneath capes, they made their way over to the palace. It only took one peek of Prince Kyungsoo’s face, and the guard allowed them entrance through a backdoor, with a promise to not tell anyone about their arrival. Due to the guard belonging to the prince’s own clan and palace guard, he did not fear the promise being broken, but they still hurried towards the throne chamber. Palace gossip did travel fast no matter where you were, and Tiufal’s palace was not an exception.

 As they neared the doors for the throne chamber, Prince Kyungsoo discarded his cape, dragging several gasps from around him, as he threw the doors to  _ his _ throne chamber open. Standing by one of the grand windows overlooking the city was a figure, the mastermind behind the prince’s disappearance, and there was something so very familiar about it that a bitter taste flooded Prince Kyungsoo’s mouth, be he ignored it and pushed inside.

 “Who dare take the place of the bloodbound prince through dishonesty and hidden plotting?” the prince spoke up, voice reverberating through the chamber.

 The person who turned to him was the person Prince Kyungsoo least expected to find here, the last person he thought would be able to betray him this gravely, and the prince could not help the stinging in his chest. So much for trust and brotherhood.

 “Jongin,” Prince Kyungsoo hissed out, hands clenching into fists by his sides. “You were the one to sell me out?”

 Chief Jongin squared his shoulders and straightened out into his full length, but the prince had never been intimidated by the other’s physical stature.

 “I did what I had to do for our world,” Chief Jongin answered, jaw clenched. “You wouldn’t, so I had to.”

 “By selling yourself and our world to the Council?” Prince Kyungsoo asked, disbelief coursing strong through him. “It is  _ our _ legacy,  _ our _ riches, nothing they should lie their filthy paws upon! You, you were the last person I suspected for this… I thought I would at least have you by my side!”

 “Somebody had to do something, and that obviously had to be me!” Chief Jongin exclaimed, voice echoing through the chamber as he took a step towards Prince Kyungsoo. “And if I had to go behind your back to do so, then so be it!”

 “And that included making sure I was forever indisposed of through death?” the prince said, voice climbing to match the chief’s. “Not only do you betray me, but you order my assassination? You were like a brother to me!”

 “Duty above family, and this world’s needs will always be above everything else for me, including myself!” the chief snapped, and then silence reigned amidst heaving breaths, filled with hurt.

 “You do not know what it truly means to put this world above everything else, nor do you know what family means,” Prince Kyungsoo spat, venom so strong it had Chief Jongin flinch. “We may be a proud warrior people, but that doesn’t mean shadow-hidden plots and treachery. It means standing strong together no matter what, and solving conflicts in the open. We’re not a kind of people who their politics in the dark, and I will not allow you to turn us into that kind either!”

 As if to punctuate the prince’s words, the whole building suddenly shook as an explosion went off, alarms striking up half a second later. Whipping his head around, the prince tried to find the source of it, but there was nothing in sight.

 “What just happened?” Chief Jongin snapped at a nearby guard, who looked at as much of a loss as everyone else.

 “Council ships! They’re attacking us!” somebody yelled as they ran into the chamber, and Prince Kyungsoo turned to the chief with fire burning in his black eyes.

 “This is on you, Jongin, this is what you have done. You’ve created strife, made discord split out people, and now the  _ real _ enemy is taking advantage of it. Are you proud?”

 Chief Jongin just stared at the prince, eyes growing round, and Prince Kyungsoo turned from him with a sneer.

 “Guards! Evacuate everyone unable to fight, gather the rest,” Prince Kyungsoo called out, easily getting the attention of everyone around. “Through my blood bound to the throne, I am taking command.  _ Go! _ ”

 For the barest of moments, the room was completely still with hesitance, doubt permeating the air, but then it was gone, and everyone began to move.

 “Chief Jongin, gather your clan and make a stand with the rest of us,” Prince Kyungsoo ordered, not even looking at the other man. “Redemption is far away, but it’s a good start.”

 “Yes, my prince,” Jongin bit out, before brushing past the prince.

 “Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Jongdae…,” the prince began, turning to the three not running around, but who were standing frozen by one of the walls and looking on. “I understand if neither of you want to fight, since this has nothing to do with you-”

 “Can I get one of the ships?” Lieutenant Park spoke up, blinking wide eyes. “I’ve always wanted to fly one of them.”

 “Of course,” Prince Kyungsoo said with an indulgent smile. “Come with me, and we’ll get you something nice.”

 “Guns, I want guns!” Commander Kim called out as they all followed the prince into battle.

**Author's Note:**

> Kyungsoo, Sehun and Jongin are from Tiufal in the Serpentis system, both having horns and stuff (like tieflings, but no tails), Chanyeol is from Methuselah in the Scorpius system (a real planet!), and he also has horns, though smaller than the three from Tiufal. They share similarities due to their planets being close to each other, a bit like distant relatives.  
> Jongdae is from Felidae (location unknown) and obviously have cat-like traits - the name is a pretty big hint to that.  
> Baekhyun is from a planet in the Pleiades system (several stars close to each other) in the Taurus constellation, hence his silverish hair.  
> Elysium in the Andromeda galaxy is made up by me, but Elysium is a sort of paradise-like place for heroes and gods in Greek mythology, and just very fitting as a name for Junmyeon's planet!


End file.
